


Learning To Fall

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Getting Together, Good Theo Raeken, Humor, M/M, Post-Canon, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 06:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15066725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: When Stiles returns for the summer he still doesn't trust Theo despite everyone's assurances he's changed. He starts following him as a way to be sure for himself that Theo is on the right path. It doesn't exactly go as planned.





	Learning To Fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ithinkwehaveanemergency](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithinkwehaveanemergency/gifts).



> Right so, with all the fics I've done this is my first time diving into Steo. But it just wouldn't let me be so I had to write it.  
> This is for Adri who sort of inspired this ♥

Stiles stares across the room at where Theo is currently talking to Derek. He narrows his eyes when Derek says something and Theo throws his head back and laughs. Seeing Theo smiling for something that doesn’t involve hurting and murdering people is still new.

He knows everyone has said Theo has changed, and that he’s not the same guy Stiles knew. To be quite honest that doesn’t make him feel better at all. Everyone had been on the trust Theo train before and that clearly backfired on them. Stiles was the only one that saw that something was up with him. Which means he’s the one that has to remain vigilant.

It’s not even that Stiles doesn’t want to believe them. He does. He just needs to see the changes in Theo for himself, and be sure it’s not all just another ruse to get the pack to trust him.

“Stop staring,” Scott says, walking up next to Stiles.

“I’m not staring,” Stiles says. He rolls his eyes when Scott simply raises an eyebrow. “Okay fine, I was. But I have a good reason. I need to be sure.”

Scott sighs, “Just don’t go overboard with it, alright?”

He claps Stiles on the back and walks over to where Liam is sitting with Mason. Stiles eventually decides to quit being a weirdo and joins Scott and the others. But he doesn’t let it go. And he definitely doesn’t go overboard, thank you very much Scott.

He just starts following Theo everywhere. It’s his summer break. He needs something to do, and making sure Theo is on the right path seems like a perfectly good use of his time.

Except Theo never does anything shady. In fact, he’s almost the perfect picture of normal. He’s even got a job working at the Sheriff's station. He works with Stiles’ _Dad_. Sure, it’s only helping him rebuild things around the station for now. But it’s still a little surreal. Especially since it means Theo is being trusted with a hammer. Stiles doesn’t care if Theo has claws and fangs, hammers are still deadly. Especially in the hands of Theo. Or so he thinks.

His dad finally gets tired of seeing Stiles hanging out at the station so much, with seemingly no reason, so he puts Stiles to work alongside Theo. Theo just smirks when John drags a grumbling Stiles into the room and thrusts a hammer into his hand, telling him to get to work.

Stiles tries to work, he does. But his focus keeps turning to Theo. Right now he has his tongue between his teeth as he focuses on positioning the nail just right. He looks adorable. It’s that thought that startles Stiles so much that he misses his nail completely and sends the hammer down on his thumb.

“Fuck!” Stiles cries out in pain his hammer falling to the ground. Theo is there in an instant, taking Stiles’ hand in his own. Stiles thinks he’s just checking the damage, but then he notices his pain lessening and sees the black lines running up Theo’s arm.

“You care,” Stiles finds himself whispering

Theo raises his eyes to meet Stiles’, a hint of nervousness crossing his face. “Of course I do.”

Stiles takes a step back, his arm slipping from Theo’s grip. “You’re not supposed to care,” he whispers. He’s not sure if he’s talking to himself or to Theo.

All he knows is he can’t be here. He can feel the panic rising in his chest and he knows it won’t be long before he’s having a full blown panic attack. He can’t be around Theo when he does.

“Stiles?” Theo asks, his face worried as he takes a hesitant step towards him.

Stiles shakes his head, “Please don’t. I just… I have to go.”

Stiles all but runs from the room, ignoring Theo’s and then his Dads calls after him. He needs away from here. Away from Theo and all the confusion that comes with him. He gets in the car, making himself put it into drive and speed away. His phone starts ringing with a call from Theo but he ignores it.

He makes it to the preserve and parks the car, his emotions finally getting to be too much. His hands grip the wheel tightly as his breathing becomes labored. His palms are sweaty, his body shakes, and he can’t choke back the sobs that have been threatening to escape.

He has feelings for Theo. There’s no doubt about it. His mission to prove that Theo really was a better person worked, but it also made him realize just how amazing Theo is. How he has a wicked sense of humor, quick enough to keep up with Stiles’ banter. How he can be nice and helpful without even needing to. Not to mention the way he makes Stiles’ stomach flip just with a look or a smile. Stiles is screwed.

He puts the car into drive again, driving another few miles until he reaches Derek’s house. Theo has been staying there since Derek moved back to Beacon Hills. Derek was the first person that thought Theo deserved a second chance. Stiles had thought he was crazy, now he’s realizing he might be right.

“We have a world ending emergency,” Stiles says as soon as Derek has the door open.

Derek looks far too calm as he lets Stiles into the house, clearly not taking Stiles seriously. “Come in then.”

Stiles paces around the room, not saying anything until Derek asks him what the emergency is. Then Stiles stops and turns to him with wide eyes and goes “I think I’ve fallen for Theo.”

“Fallen for him?”

“Yes! Fallen for him. As in I have feelings for him. And not angry or untrusting feelings. Like happy, good, I want to kiss him and cuddle him and do other things with him feelings.”

Derek kind of just stares at him and Stiles wants to take that as confirmation that this really is a weird situation, at least until a throat clears behind Stiles and Theo’s voice fills the room, “Would it help if I also said I felt those feelings?”

Stiles squeaks, whirling around to see Theo standing there. He’s not smirking like Stiles expected, but instead is wringing his hands, a small hopeful smile on his face.

“I…” Stiles looks at Theo, his fight or flight instincts taking over. He’s not proud when he does the latter.

“Again? Stiles really?” Theo calls after him.

Stiles doesn’t stop. He just keeps going.

***

He doesn’t stop following Theo. Now it’s more to prove to himself he’s not crazy for liking Theo. _Loving him,_ his mind supplies. But no. That can’t be right. He immediately pushes away the thought.

He finds himself hidden in some bushes, watching as Theo eats lunch outside some cafe. He realizes it’s a whole new level of creepy. Especially with the weird looks he gets from other people as they walk down the sidewalk. He knows it’s only a matter of time before someone tells the manager and he gets told off. Or worse, they call the cops and his Dad shows up.

Stiles watches as Theo shakes his head and then pulls out his phone. He almost jumps when his own phone starts ringing. He looks at the screen to see Theo calling him. When he looks up it’s to find him turned around in his seat, smirking at Stiles. Theo’s voice sounds lowly in his ear, “You know instead of being creepy and watching me, you could just join me for lunch.”

Stiles doesn’t really have a choice. He _could_ run off again, but part of him doesn’t want to. So he walks over to the table and sits down, arms crossed as he glares over at Theo.

Theo just smirks at him, his fingers running along his glass, “You keep glaring at me like that and people are going to think I’m a horrible date.”

Stiles mouth opens in shock as he flails a bit but no words come out. He knows the way his heart skipped at the thought of this being a date must be enough of an answer.

Theo’s face softens as he hands Stiles one of the drinks on the table. A raspberry smoothie. Stiles’ favorite. Stiles is just now realizing that he’s not the only one that’s been watching and learning.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Theo says, his voice quiet. He looks more nervous now. “Unless you’re planning to run off again.”

“I’m not,” Stiles says, and it’s not a lie. Now that he’s sitting here across from Theo, drinking his favorite drink with this new Theo he finds he’s not as nervous. He just has to know something, “Is this a date?”

“Do you want it to be?” Theo asks.

Stiles looks at Theo, taking in the tension in his shoulders as if he’s ready for Stiles to reject him. He can’t. He won’t. “I do.”

Theo smiles, “Then it’s a date. Though…”

“What?

“If it goes well I would hope to take you on a proper one,” Theo says.

“A proper one?” Stiles asks.

“Yes a proper one. One where I didn’t have to force you to come over here after you’ve been watching me for months,” Theo tells him.

“You’ve _known_?”

Theo gives him an amused smile, “Stiles, I know your scent pretty well by now. And the sound of your heartbeat. Of course I’ve known you were following me.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Stiles asks, “God now I feel like such a creep.”

Theo raises an eyebrow, “And it wasn’t creepy before?”

“I…” Stiles opens his mouth and closes it again and sighs, “Okay yeah. It was creepy. I just…”

“Had to be sure I was a good guy and wasn’t going to hurt your pack again?” Theo finishes.

“Yeah.”

“And what did you find out?”

“That I’ve liked what I’ve been seeing,” Stiles says, a light blush coating his cheeks. “A little too much.”

“Good,” Theo says, “Because I’m not that guy anymore Stiles. I don’t expect everyone to forget the things I did or act like they never happened, because they did and I know _I’ll_ never forget that. I just want a chance to make up for it.”

“I think you’re doing a pretty good job. I can see the good in you. ” Stiles says. He waits, taking a deep breath before saying the words that could change everything. “I trust you.”

Stiles watches as Theo sucks in a breath before nodding, his words choked up when he speaks. “Thank you.”

Stiles smiles, reaching across the table to take Theo’s hand in his own. “Please don’t cry. I hear it’s bad to make someone cry on a first date.”

Theo’s lips twitch up into a smile, “Oh yeah?”

Stiles nods, face serious, “Yeah. There’s been research about it and everything. You make someone cry on a first date and there’s a big chance of the relationship failing.”

“Is that so?” Theo says, and Stiles nods. “Hmm well you do know all about research.”

“I do. And my research has been pretty reassuring involving you. So much that I do hope we get to go on that other date,” Stiles says.

Theo flips his hand over, lacing his fingers though Stiles’. “I think that can be arranged.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day. ♥  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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